Chapter 73: When an Ambush Meets Kidnapping

Ou Caiming was also startled. He had clearly captured a terrorist. He hurriedly made arrangements, and the young miner said, "Brother Xia is not that kind of person. He wouldn't kill innocents. We originally planned to bring explosives to blow up the Black Gold Company headquarters, but Brother Xia stopped us. If it weren't for the injured miners and their families begging and forcing him, he wouldn't have agreed to take us to retaliate against Black Gold Company. We should have listened to Brother Xia. Brother Xia injured those people because they were too aggressive and had already injured our people..."

Qin Junwei said, "Oh, we'll verify these details later. Do any of you know where Xia Hongjun's home is? Who lives there?"

The miners hesitated for a moment before finally speaking, "Since many people in the mine know... Brother Xia only has a blind old mother at home. Brother Xia rented a house near the Tieling Coal Mine to settle his mother. The address is..."

With the confirmed information, Ding Menghong and the others immediately continued forward, heading towards the Tieling Coal Mine. After hearing about Xia Hongjun's family situation, everyone agreed with Du Long's judgment. Xia Hongjun must have been provoked by the two armed police. After all, he had killed people and would likely spend several decades in prison, unable to take care of his mother. Thus, Xia Hongjun decided to fight to the death with Li Wuwei. Before the fight, his only concern was his mother, and he would definitely return to settle her first. Therefore, going directly to Xia Hongjun's home was the simplest and fastest way to intercept him.

The armed police's attitude towards Du Long had shifted from contempt to admiration. The driver, Xiao Wu, praised him endlessly, "Du Long, your mind is really sharp. You figured out Xia Hongjun's plan at a glance."

Du Long sighed lightly and said, "There's nothing to be happy about. This Xia Hongjun doesn't seem to be a bad person. At least... he is a filial son..."

Everyone fell silent. Du Long continued, "Xia Hongjun killed people, so everyone is actively trying to catch him. But as far as I know, two people died at the Tieling Coal Mine. Has anyone been assigned to catch the murderer?"

Ding Menghong took a deep drag on his cigarette and said in a low voice, "Du, you don't understand the situation in Wuxi County. The water here is deep, dirty, and toxic. If you stay here long enough, no one can escape. In this murky water, there are many big fish and monsters that eat people without spitting out the bones. Li Wuwei is one of them. He has done many bad things, but no one can touch him. Not everyone in our police force is corrupt, but if you dare to investigate him, you'll be immediately stopped from above, then possibly dismissed or transferred. Your family will be threatened. In such a situation, how many people can still stick to their principles?"

Du Long said, "You can report them to the disciplinary committee."

Ding Menghong snorted, "The disciplinary committee? Two years ago, a fearless person reported Li Wuwei to the higher disciplinary committee. What happened? That person was demoted to work in the coal mine's safety inspection. On his first descent into the mine, he encountered a gas explosion and died. Even more terrifying, no one dared to expose this incident, and it was left unresolved. Who would dare to report them now?"

Du Long said, "If the municipal committee doesn't work, you can report to the provincial committee. Do they have people in the provincial government?"

Ding Menghong took another drag on his cigarette and remained silent. Another armed police officer in the car snorted and said, "There's a big shot in the provincial committee who is from Wuxi County. He should be a source of pride for us, but unfortunately... now, when people in Wuxi County who know the inside story mention him, they are either afraid or disdainful..."

Ding Menghong said, "Enough, don't say any more. Du, don't try to pry information out of us. Wuxi County is that dark. Don't think the investigation team from the city will stay tough for long. They'll soon change their minds, downplay the incident, and work with the county to cover it up. Wasn't it the same with the mine disaster a few years ago? Du, I think you're a good person, so I'm giving you a heads-up. Don't try to fight them, or else..."

Du Long smiled and said, "I understand, thank you for the warning, Brother Ding. I'm just here to gather information; I won't meddle in other people's business."

After saying this, Du Long looked out the window. He indeed didn't like to meddle in other people's business, but some things couldn't be considered mere trifles... After passing a three-way intersection, the number of overloaded trucks on the road suddenly increased. These trucks of coal made many people billionaires, while many others worked day and night for meager salaries, literally risking their lives. Even without gas explosions or mine flooding, long-term work in the mines would lead to pneumoconiosis, occupational radiation diseases, occupational poisoning, coal mine worker's bursitis, and other ailments like rheumatism, arthritis, and osteoporosis, reducing their average lifespan by five to ten years. Wasn't this selling their lives?

The mountain road was narrow and winding. When the heavily overloaded trucks passed by, Du Long couldn't help but feel worried. If a truck tire suddenly burst, the massive vehicle would topple over, and even a tank would be crushed.

Fortunately, this situation didn't occur until they reached the Tieling Coal Mine. Following the address Du Long had, they quickly found the rental house where Xia Hongjun lived. The armed police didn't know when Xia Hongjun would return, so they didn't alert him. After confirming that Xia Hongjun's mother was still in the rental house, they hid the police car and found advantageous positions to hide, preparing to arrest Xia Hongjun as soon as he appeared.

They waited and waited, but in the dark night, no one matching Xia Hongjun's physical characteristics appeared.

"Hey, is Ding Menghong there? This is Ou Caiming, over." The police radio on Ding Menghong's shoulder suddenly crackled. Ding Menghong almost cursed but held back when he heard it was his superior. He pressed the talk button and said, "Chief Ou, this is Ding Menghong. We are setting up an ambush to capture Xia Hongjun, over..."

Ou Caiming shouted, "Ambush my ass. You've already been discovered by Xia Hongjun. He has taken the wife of Tieling Coal Mine's supply department head, Mo Keqiang, hostage and demands that you immediately withdraw, or he will kill the hostage and disappear!"

Ding Menghong finally cursed and asked, "What does he want?"

Ou Caiming said, "That guy just wants to see his mother and say a few words before leaving. With the hostage, there's nothing we can do. Withdraw quickly. The guy is very arrogant, saying he has hidden the hostage in the mountains with a timed bomb. If we move, the hostage will definitely die. I just called the veterans' resettlement office to check his background, but after several rounds of inquiries, I couldn't find out which unit he served in. This guy must have some significant background. Don't confront him. Withdraw immediately!"